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“He scores when he wants” has been the chant at Portman Road for a while now and of course those chants have been rightly aimed at in form striker DJ Campbell.

I must admit, at first I was skeptical as to whether he would be the right man for the club. After all, it is usually hard work and grit that gets you away from the relegation zone and Campbell is not a player that I thought had these qualities. However it has been a pleasant surprise to see the man on loan from QPR work his socks off and score some crucial goals.

He has already become a bit of a fans favourite and it is safe to say that everyone at Ipswich would love to see him stay, but I find myself thinking; has Campbell done too well during his loan spell?

The problem with the striker doing so well is that he will have grabbed the attention of his parent club as well as any other clubs that have some cash to spare.

I guess another factor to think about is whether QPR would be happy to let him go and whether the player would be happy to go back to QPR. It seems clear that Campbell would love to go back to QPR if he has a chance of playing Premier League football and before Mark Hughes was sacked it looked certain that the player would be going back there for good. Now his future will depend on whether Harry Redknapp can offer him first team football.

Although QPR are struggling, their main problem is their defence rather than their front line so it seems likely that Redknapp will not be too bothered about letting the 31-year-old forward move on. The London club will no doubt splash the cash on a number of high profile signings in January too so I cannot see Campbell being high up in the pecking order there for very long.

That suggests that Ipswich will have a good chance of keeping him but many other Championship clubs will be relishing the chance to snap up the former Blackpool man.

Unfortunately, if history is anything to go by then the Tractor Boys have very little chance of securing his signature. Over the last few seasons the club has missed out on almost every one of their preferred transfer targets. This summer we saw Sam Baldock and Tomasz Kuszczak chose to move to smaller Championship sides rather than joining Ipswich, but hopefully the same thing will not happen again.

It may not be much to go on but Campbell looks happy at Ipswich and he has obviously fitted in well with the rest of the team. His body language suggests that he gets on well with his teammates and would be happy to stay put. Also, from his point of view it would make sense to join Ipswich because he knows that the team work well around him, whereas if he moved elsewhere he may not have the same success.

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It would be a shame if Ipswich did not sign Campbell as he is a brilliant poacher at Championship level and will always provide at least 15 goals a season. QPR may demand a fairly high fee for him and he may ask for a lot in terms of wages, but you cannot put a price on a consistent goalscorer.

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Liverpool have finally welcomed Naby Keita to the club after agreeing to sign the midfielder from RB Leipzig last year.

Another new player has also reportedly joined the club, and he has a very close association with Anfield legend Steven Gerrard.

Numerous media outlets, including The Telegraph, reported on Wednesday that Manchester City youngster Bobby Duncan will become a Liverpool player on July 1.

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It is believed that the Merseyside outfit have paid £200,000 to seal the signature of the 17-year-old, who is Gerrard’s cousin.

The teenager joined City’s academy at 11 years old, but has opted against signing a contract at the North-West outfit.

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Now, the forward will try his luck at Anfield and will aim to find a route to the first team.

Duncan made five appearances for the Under-18s last season, and he has also featured 15 times for the England Under-17s.

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On Reddit, Liverpool fans posted their verdicts on the youngster, who has five international goals to his name.

Comment from discussion Liverpool sign Manchester City’s England youth star Bobby Duncan.Comment from discussion Liverpool sign Manchester City’s England youth star Bobby Duncan.Comment from discussion Liverpool sign Manchester City’s England youth star Bobby Duncan.Comment from discussion Liverpool sign Manchester City’s England youth star Bobby Duncan.Comment from discussion Liverpool sign Manchester City’s England youth star Bobby Duncan.Comment from discussion Liverpool sign Manchester City’s England youth star Bobby Duncan.Comment from discussion Liverpool sign Manchester City’s England youth star Bobby Duncan.

12 months ago, if you were to tell Manchester United fans that Scott McTominay was Jose Mourinho’s preferred midfield choice in a crucial Champions League game over Paul Pogba, you would have been met with laughter and obscenities.However, that is exactly what happened on Wednesday evening, when United earned a draw against Sevilla.The 21-year-old impressed fans and pundits alike with his maturity and confidence. However, Jose Moourinho reserved special praise for the young midfielder, describing his performance as ‘unbelievable’.https://video.footballfancast.com/video-2015/earliest-plwins.mp4With United legend Michael Carrick coming to the end of his career at Old Trafford, debate has been raging among fans as to who could replace the 36-year-old at the end of the season.With money to spend and a multitude of international talent probably desperate to play for United, Mourinho would have an impressive list of players to target.However, many United fans believe that Carrick’s successor is already part of the squad and took to Twitter to express their feelings toward McTominay as a potential replacement for their ageing midfielder…

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Steven Gerrard is undoubtably one of the greatest Premier League players – however, can he still compete at the top level?

As a West Ham fan I was delighted when I saw that Gerrard was going to be playing in his new deep position when the two sides met last weekend. Sam Allardyce was happy to concede possession and instead play a fast counter-attacking style of football. The Reds duly delivered their possession style football but so rarely managed to create chances. Gerrard made the fourth most passes but this was more to do with the fact that The Hammers were sitting deep and allowing the passes between the Liverpool defenders – the ex-England captain’s most common pass destinations were Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren – passes which are completely ‘safe’ from a West Ham point of view.

Stevie G’s passing range is still as good as ever and as a result he is still ‘pinging’ long balls across the pitch, which sometimes triggers a Liverpool attack but not as often as the Liverpool fans would like. When Luis Suarez was at Liverpool last year, Gerrard managed to bag 11 assists and the majority were assisting the now Barcelona man. Is the loss of Suarez affecting Gerrard’s performances in terms of assists and overall contribution to attacking play? Of course having a player of Suarez’s quality helps creative midfielders greatly but surely Gerrard could put a goal on a plate for anyone?

In my opinion, there’s no doubting that Gerrard still has the ability to rule the Premier League but Brendan Rodgers is wasting one of the league’s true greats. Steven has been moved into a deeper role – which happens to many ageing midfielders – however,  it’s now his role to dictate play from deep and in a team like Liverpool that’s not a particularly tricky role to maintain.

Most football fans would describe Andrea Pirlo as the best example of a deep-lying playmaker. He dictates the tempo for Italy and Juventus at the ripe old age of 35; he generally covers very little distance in this role but does contribute to assists and a few goals here and there.

I still feel that Gerrard would outshine most centre-midfielders in the Premier League if he was allowed to take a more advanced position as he did in his younger years. Despite his fantastic passing range I just don’t think that Gerrard suits the deep role. It keeps the 34-year-old out of the way too much. He has scored 113 Premier League goals – including some of the all-time best – however, he now is relying on set-pieces to affect the match. Out of his last 18 goals, 17 have been either a penalty or a free-kick.

Seeing Gerrard’s name on the team-sheet used to inject fear into the opposition as they desperately tried to stop him from scoring or assisting a mass amount of goals. However, opposition sides know now that he is only really a danger from set-pieces in his new role.

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Aston Villa are locked in a battle with Fiorentina in a bid to sign French U-21 ace Massadio Haidara, according to talkSPORT.

The Nancy left-back has gained the attention of a number of top European clubs after impressing for his club at the age of just 19. It was reoprted that Paul Lambert had lined up a deal for Haidara in the summer but the move never materialised. The Villa boss now hopes to reignite his interest in the player, who has spent his entire career at Nancy. However, the Scotsman may have to do battle with Fiorentina, who have only recently declared their interest in the young Frenchman.

It is thought that Haidara can head to Birmingham or Florence for as little as €2.5 million, a relative bargain considering the supposed talents that the youngster possesses.

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Since making his first professional debut for Nancy in 2010, at the age of just 17, Haidara, who is also eligible to play for Senegal, has made 33 appearances, taking over as first choice left back midway through last season. With Villa performing below standards this season, Lambert keen to invest in new blood in January, With Haidara one of many targets that the former Norwich man is set to bid for.

According to reports in The Sun on Sunday, West Ham United believe they can compete the signing of Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the England international’s contract with the north London outfit expires at the end of the month, and the two parties haven’t yet come to an agreement with The Sun on Sunday saying that Wilshere held talks with Unai Emery last Monday.

The Sun on Sunday says that the Spanish boss told the 26-year-old that he wants him to stay at the Emirates Stadium, but they aren’t willing to increase their £100,000-a-week offer – which would see the midfielder take a wage cut.

The report adds that West Ham, who should forget Alfie Mawson and sign a £10m-rated Championship centre-back instead, are willing to hand him a four-year deal worth £130,000-a-week, and Manuel Pellegrini has told him that he wants to build his newly-inherited team around him.

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How did Wilshere do during the 2017/18 campaign?

At the beginning of the season it seemed almost certain that the 26-year-old would be leaving the Emirates this summer, but he quickly became more and more of a starter under Arsene Wenger despite spending the previous campaign on loan at Bournemouth.

Wilshere made 40 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals and providing a further seven assists.

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Would he be a good West Ham signing?

He certainly would be.

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The 26-year-old may have suffered his fair share of injury problems in recent years, but there is no doubting the quality he has.

He would be a huge character in the middle of the park for the Irons, and he would be a real statement signing on a permanent basis.

The England international would bring some bite and an ability to bring the ball forward, and he would help the east London club secure Europa League football next term.

According to the Daily Express, Arsenal are eager to sign Manchester United defender, Phil Jones, in the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Arsenal have allegedly expressed an interest in the Manchester United defender, and the Red Devils could be willing to allow the Englishman to leave because his contract expires at the end of next season.

The 25-year-old has registered several disappointing performances for the Europa League winners this season, and United could be keen to sell the defender – they’ve been linked with moves for defenders of late.

If United are willing to sell the former Blackburn defender, then it seems that the Gunners are ready to pounce on his availability.

Would he be a good signing?

At the age of 25, Phil Jones has won four major honours and has represented one of the world’s greatest clubs on 188 occasions. This is a testament to Jones’ capabilities as a footballer.

He is certainly not the best in his field. However, he is a very good player who has amassed plenty of experience of playing at the highest level.  The Englishman is regarded for his capacity to retain possession when necessary. Furthermore, he is a surprisingly good passer of the ball for a defender, and he has displayed his impressive crossing ability.

These qualities ensure that he would be a useful option for the Gunners, one that would be in keeping with the mentality that Wenger is keen to express.

Does Wenger need him?

While Arsenal have a relatively established defence, its members are ageing. Nacho Monreal is 31, Laurent Koscielny is 32 and Per Mertesacker.

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The addition of Phil Jones would provide quality and invaluable experience, while also helping to provide longevity and sustainability. Arsenal cannot depend on an ageing backline; the arrival of Jones would be welcomed.

After a little over twelve months, a group of alleged imposters masquerading as a transfer committee (which has now been cleared up) and dealing with one of the most stubborn football clubs in the game, Manchester United have finally signed Ander Herrera.

This is the time for giving credit where it’s due. Herrera to United looked dead in the water after the episode of last summer. The failure to land Herrera led to the player being benched early on by Ernesto Valverde, only to be gradually reinstated as a starting regular and ending the season on a personal high. Such was the mix up last season, if we’re going to call it that, and Athletic Bilbao’s red-faced stubbornness, the player looked all but set to commit his future to the Basque club.

Credit now to United for convincing the player otherwise, keeping the deal relatively quiet and wrapping it up in a manner as professional as can be done in such a situation. Bilbao, under no pressure to sell for a multitude of reasons, won’t settle for anything less than their players’ buyout clause.

The deal is somewhat of a surprise due to United’s apparent disinterest in returning to such a complicated negotiating table. Toni Kroos, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Arturo Vidal, and various others looked well ahead of Herrera as possibilities to be United’s next midfield lynchpin.

But this is what United needed. The misconception about Herrera is that he’s a young player – at 24 (25 later this summer) and having been a regular for Bilbao since 2011, he’s far from it. Questions about the player’s fee are warranted: is he worth that sort of money at this stage? It depends how you look at it. As of now, Herrera wouldn’t command a fee of £29 million elsewhere. But these were special circumstances, dealing with a club who simply don’t budge when it comes to transfers. In the future – and there can be little doubt that Herrera is well off his peak – the Spaniard will justify the figure United parted with.

The player has been talked up as one of the pivotal figures in the next wave for the Spanish national team. Along with Thiago Alcantara and Koke, any combination of the three could replace Xavi ad Xabi Alonso in Spain’s midfield in the future.

There’s a lot to like about Herrera’s game over both Kroos and last year’s transfer target Cesc Fabregas. He has bite, he’s not afraid to get stuck into the dirty work, namely winning the ball back high up the pitch. He’s intelligent and can create, which is well known, but his versatility is what makes him such an attractive prospect. Juan Mata or Wayne Rooney will fill in at No.10, but Herrera is just as comfortable there as he is deeper in the midfield. He can become the perfect centrepiece to employing stylish possession tactics.

Naturally, the midfield recruitment shouldn’t be over for United just yet. Herrera very much needs a partner or some form of safety net behind him. At Athletic Bilbao, Ander Iturraspe is a regular starter and would sit in front of the back four. United have a long-standing need for a player who can protect the defence, and now with the signing of Herrera, they very much need someone to help bring the best out of the 24-year-old.

Think of the rewards to be had with Herrera pairing up with a coach like Louis van Gaal. The Dutch coach is known for his preference of working with younger players; this Netherlands side at the World Cup very much leans on youth and inexperience. It was van Gaal who brought Thomas Muller into the Bayern team, as well as guiding a youthful AZ Alkmaar to the Dutch title. The bottom line is this: Herrera isn’t the finished product yet. He’s good, very good in fact. But this is a player who can be further moulded by a manager who has his preferred way of coaching.

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United have taken a considerable leap forward with this signing. They would have been impressed by the mauling suffered at the hands of Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League in 2012. Herrera racked up a huge number of games over that season, helping Bilbao to both the Europa League and Copa del Rey final.

This is the natural next step in his career. There’s added responsibility now and Herrera is more than capable of delivering.

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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has slated his teams’ performance after their 2-1 defeat away at Wigan yesterday, as reported by talkSPORT.

West Ham were second best throughout the game at the DW Stadium and the manager felt that the performance was of a bottom three side rather than a top ten side which he expects from his players.

“It was a bottom three performance rather than a top four display. We never hit the level of performance that we know we can,

“We never really tested Wigan. When we got into the final third we hardly produced a ball of quality to cause them a problem. We also kept giving the ball away before we could get into their half. It was a lackluster performance all round in possession and out of possession.

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“We were chasing around instead of staying as a tight solid unit. We had too many players not hitting their top form,”

Tottenham Hotspur should consider making a move for Ajax playmaker Hakim Ziyech following his performances at the World Cup.

What’s the word?

The North London outfit could do with another creative player in their squad next season.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side have established themselves as regular top-four contenders, but they need strength in depth in order to take that next step.

One playmaker who could fall on the club’s radar is Ziyech, who has performed well for Morocco at the World Cup in Russia.

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Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, who is valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, his nation’s tournament is over.

The damage was done on Wednesday when Portugal earned a 1-0 victory, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the goal.

Individually, though, Ziyech put on a decent display, which could potentially attract interest from other clubs.

Is he good enough for Tottenham?

It is easy to be drawn to the high-profile names during the transfer hunt, but there are some gems that would be worth snapping up.

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Tottenham’s main creative outlet in midfield comes from Christian Eriksen, but Ziyech has the qualities to provide a different dynamic to Mauricio Pochettino’s team.

Last season, the Moroccan scored nine goals in 35 appearances in all competitions for Ajax, but more impressively created 17 assists for his teammates.

If Tottenham are in the market for a new attacking midfielder, then Ziyech should be on the pile of candidates, particularly as he could be a cheaper option that some other targets.